2021 Poggio al Tesoro “Il Seggio” Bolgheri, Italy (Alcohol 14%, Residual Sugar 3 g/l) LCBO Online and flagship store exclusive $45.95 (750ml glass bottle)

Back in the day, Bolgheri was once a region synonymous with the hyperexpensive “Super Tuscans,” but over the decades, this area has branched into making some slightly more affordable wines. While a $46 wine certainly isn’t everyday drinking for me, I feel that this bottling would certainly be a worthy splurge for a special occasion.

Il Seggio is named after the largest river in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci, which rises from the metalliferously ferrous hills of Sassetta. It crosses the entire Bolgheri region, its alluvial debris enriching the clay soils and scattering pebbles throughout the soil structure, ensuring superb drainage.

In what has become a typical (Bordeaux) blend for the region, this is made up of 50% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet, and a 10% squirt of Petit Verdot. The wine sees some 15 months ageing in 225-litre French oak barrels, with only 30% of that being new, and I have to admit that the oak treatment on this is bordering upon the exquisite, as it is so well integrated into the pristine black fruit contained within.

And how very beautiful all that black fruit is: on the bouquet one finds intense cassis, blackberries, dark plums, and a whiff of errant blueberry with some $$$-smelling warm oak spice, while the palate is rich and concentrated, still maintaining poise and assertiveness. The tannins are perky, supple, and possess a pleasant, dusty chocolately texture, especially in the prolonged finish. I’d say that this wine was in its youth, as this should develop marvellously in the bottle for a decade or longer.

This is wine that certainly deserves some elevated food, like a beef/venison Wellington with a wild mushroom duxelle. Or a lamb rack with a herb/red wine jus. Great stuff.

All in all, this is an extremely modern, polished, and well-knit wine, with no discernible rough edges whatsoever. It’s an elegant, refined example of (reasonably) affordable Tuscan excellence and well worth your hard-earned dollars.

 


(Four and a half out of a possible five apples)

 

Poggio al Tesoro are represented in Ontario by Select Wines.

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